Kosovo wins recognition of some, rebuked by others

BERLIN — Kosovo won the recognition of the United States and its biggest Western European allies on Monday, while earning rebukes and rejections from Serbia, Russia and a disparate mix of states the world over who face their own separatist movements at home. Major European powers, including France, Germany and Britain, along with the United States, officially recognized Kosovo, even as officials took pains to point out that it should not serve as an invitation or precedent for other groups hoping to declare independence. That is because one of the biggest unknowns remains whether Kosovo’s declaration could rekindle conflicts elsewhere, including in ethnically divided Bosnia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/world/europe/19kosovo.html?ex=1361163600&en=a71feeae5c990f85&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/world/20071209_KOSOVO_FEATURE/index.html